parcel east of the Customs House owned by Southern Pacific

Company.

V. The Objective

Yuma Crossing and associated historic sites has the potential of being a beautiful regional park, fortuitously located at the western gateway to Arizona.

The park and historic sites would offer recreational and cultural advantages, not only to the local community, but to residents of the southwestern region and the state and nation.

Its attraction to tourists is obvious. It would offer a unique variety of activities on the very site of historic events. The potential for attracting visitors from the swiftly growing population centers of northern Mexico is also clearly apparent.

RECREATION ISSUES

I. OVERVIEW OF STATE PARKS INVOLVEMENT ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER

A.

:

Of 20 Park Units administered by the agency, three are located
on the River:

These three parks encompass 14,700 acres of our total 35,000 acres.

Budget FY 82-83:

$840,000 or 27% of total agency Operating
Budget of $3,100,000.

Personnel: 35.5 FTEs or 30% of total agency authorization

of 119.5 FTEs

Paid Visitation: 35% of total attendance (approx. 900,000)
Revenues: 42% of total ($741,000)

B. Types of Facilities

C.

Museums, historic structures, major campgrounds with and without hookups, boat access camps, picnic areas, concession areas which include motels, restaurants, golf course, marinas, boat storage facilities, stores, trailer parks and public beaches.

Services Provided by Park Rangers

Maintenance, visitor information and interpretive services, fee collections, law enforcement, emergency medical assistance, operation of utility systems and associated administrative tasks.

II. CHANGES/TRENDS

A.

In Calendar Year 1982, we experienced a decrease in visitation even though revenues increased substantially. Our park managers feel that, generally speaking, visitors are making fewer trips but they are staying longer when they do visit the River, primarily because of travel time and cost.

B. Our managers are also saying a lengthening of the "season",
primarily due to winter visitors or snow birds, come earlier and
stay longer.

C. Possibly as a result of the extended winter season, there seems to
be a subtle change in the types of visitor and activities that we
see along the River. Specifically, the visitors using the River
now appear to be more settled and affluent than, say, what you would
have expected 3-4 years ago. Additionally, there seems to be more

III.

, D.

E.

interest in the pursuit of activities not necessarily associated with boating which has been the traditional use of the Colorado River. In general, it is our impression that the average visitor is now looking for a pleasant, safe and secure outdoor recreational experience.

Whatever the reasons, use of the Colorado River is now becomming
year round as opposed to seasonal and there is a resultant increasing
pressure, not only on the public recreational resources, but also
on the surrounding communities and political subdivisions for
their services, specifically law enforcement and medical services.

In addition to the lengthening of season of use, in the first quarter of 1983, State Parks has already experienced a 13% increase in visitation and we have every reason to believe the next quarter will exceed that.

F. Most people I talk to agree that, at a minimum, 80% of the use of
the visitors to the Colorado River are from other than Arizona.
It is fairly well accepted that Arizonans have simply not yet
discovered the "River" or those that are aware of it tend to avoid
it because of its past reputation, particularly on holidays. If
the River ever becomes popular with Arizonans, visitation will
probably skyrocket.

NEEDS

A. Specific/Facilities

B.

Additional RV accommodations for winter visitors; with amenities such as meeting places/club houses for evening social events, games, etc.

Shore/beach facilities; picnic areas, parking areas, shade structures, trails -- in general, things not necessarily associated with boats.

Marine stadia for organizated water sports competitive events. Overflow facilities; large, basically unimproved areas for accommodating overnight parking which cannot be handled in existing campgrounds.

General/River

Survey of use and assessment of carrying capacity that would be
specific to heaviest used portions of the area but would also
addressing those areas of the River where we don't want to
encourage heavy use because of environmental/wildlife considerations.

C. Additional access and ancillary facilities, possibly in the vicinities of Ehrenburg and Bullhead City.

IV. POINTS TO CONSIDER

A. There should be a balance between types of facilities offered to include some government, some concession and some private as opposed to going all one way or the other -- provides competitive pressures and freedom of choice to the visitor.

B.

Should there be established a Colorado River Commission which would be responsible for the planning and review of major events, activities and developments associated with the use of the Colorado River and adjacent lands?

V. OPPORTUNITIES

A. Increased Civic and political interest in the use and development of Colorado River resources.

B. High interest level and willingness of private business sector to participate by providing major capital investments for future development.

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RESOLUTION NO. 344

A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF PARKER, LA
PAZ COUNTY, ARIZONA SUPPORTING A MAXIMUM
FLOW OF 28,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND (CFS)
ON THE COLORADO RIVER AS NON DAMAGING TO
OUR "PARKER STRIP" RECREATIONAL AREA AND

OUR SUPPORTING SERVICE INDUSTRY AND REQUEST-
ING THE U.S. CONGRESS FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

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BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the Town of Parker, La Paz
County, Arizona, that our "Parker Strip" area economy has been devastated
by the controlled flooding on the Colorado River that has been administered
by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, Boulder City,
Nevada, commencing in June 1983, which resulted in discharges from Parker
Dam in excess of 40,000 CFS and brought about the order from the U.S. Coast
Guard, Los Angeles, California, closing the Colorado River in the "Parker
Strip" recreational area to all boating and recreational activities, and;

WHEREAS, the "Parker Strip" recreational area services over 12,000,000
users residing in Los Angeles and the southern California area, which is
the only fresh water recreational area for boating, power and sail, water
skiing, jet skiing, fishing and tubing and floating, and;

WHEREAS, the Town of Parker's economy relies on the recreational use of the Colorado River which provides employment in our recreational service industry consisting of restaurants, motels, mobile home parks and resorts, service stations, grocery, retail and sundry stores, and;

WHEREAS, flood release steps as high as 73,000 CFS (Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior report, Colorado River Basin Hoover Dam, Review of Flood Control Regulations, 1982) would mean disaster for the recreational use of the "Parker Strip" area, which is the 15 mile strip on the Arizona and California sides of the Colorado River from Parker Dam south to the Town of Parker.